Tips to help protect home from burglars

Q: What steps should I take to make sure my home is safe from theft?

A: Here are the top things you can do for home safety and security:

Create the illusion that someone is at your house if youre away for an extended period of time. Use exterior lighting and motion detectors to minimize burglar concealment.

Make sure all exterior doors have good, proper locks. Install 1-inch deadbolt locks on all exterior doors.

Dont leave extra keys under doormats, potted plants or any other obvious outdoor location. Find an inconspicuous place to hide the keys, or give a set to a neighbor you trust.

Burglar-proof your sliding glass patio doors by setting a pipe or metal bar in the middle bottom track of the door slide. The pipe should be the same length as the track.

Keep garage doors closed at all times. Keeping garage doors closed prohibits intruders from gaining access to a door that leads directly into your home.

Store cash, jewelry and other valuables in a safe or safety deposit box instead of leaving them lying around the house. Helping to protect your investments can help lower your risk of a home invasion or burglary.

Rick Carpenter is store manager of the Sports Arena Home Depot store. Email questions for him to homeandgarden@utsandiego.com

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Tips to help protect home from burglars